


Cold Season Madness

by WinterSorceress



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: F/F, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-23
Updated: 2016-05-23
Packaged: 2018-06-10 04:55:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6940720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WinterSorceress/pseuds/WinterSorceress
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Peridot thinks the Crystal Gems must surely be daft expecting her to play outside with them when it's literally freezing. Good thing Steven is pretty convincing. </p><p>Smallest hints of Pearl/Peridot</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cold Season Madness

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lacertae](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lacertae/gifts).



> A winter story I've been long working on for a [friend](http://lacertae-dreamscape.tumblr.com/) who's a major Peridot fan. The playlists I used while writing this are [ Beach City Radio Winter Addition](http://8tracks.com/cardwrecks/beach-city-radio-winter-edition) (Winter), [Ggglitched ](http://8tracks.com/kinfeel/ggglitched)(Peridot) and [Clink](http://8tracks.com/murawesome/clink) (Pearlidot).

Coat? Check. Two pairs of gloves? Positive. Three pairs of socks, two scarves, and three sweaters? Affirmative. Swathed in ‘armor’ and an impeccable warmth, she at last was prepared for battle. It would no doubt be one to test every ounce of her gem strength.

            “Peridot...” Steven whined for the third time from outside. “Aren’t you ready _yet_? It’s not _that_ cold out. I promise.”

            “Leave it to a pebble like you to be incapable of accurately gauging temperature,” Peridot grumbled, slowly making her way to the front door. Now that she was fully suited up, her movements were more limited, almost stiff, but it was a price she was more than happy to pay. “It is literally freezing. And you expect me to venture out for mere ‘play’?”

            “Well, yeah...” the half gem shrugged, reaching out to open the door in her path. “You can’t exactly stay inside _all_ winter. There’s too much fun to be had.”

            She could hardly believe she was doing this. The technician should’ve been inside, bundled up in every blanket she could get her touch stumps on, but she wasn’t. Instead, she was braving the harsh Earth winter for the sake of this...Steven. She supposed it was only a matter of time until she became just as backwards as the rest of these Crystal Clods.

            Still uncertain about this venture, Peridot hesitated before the open screen door. Out past the railing of the deck, she could see nothing but white and felt nothing but the frigid caress of the wind; she was surprised the sea itself hadn’t froze over. Despite this, the rest of the Crystal Gems waited for them down on the beach, as if they weren’t bothered at all by the hostile climate. In fact, the pearl and amethyst were gladly passing the time constructing round creatures out of the cursed mush, that had fallen from the sky in place of the rain she had finally grown accustomed to. Everyone on this planet seemed extremely hardy or extremely daft.

            Though, as much as she dreaded the looming experience, she hadn’t made it this far just to retreat from a challenge. Acknowledging that, she found the courage to steel herself and, reluctantly, wandered from the safety of Steven’s human dwelling, one little green gravity connector at a time.

            “There we go! Come out and enjoy the snow!” Steven encouraged, beckoning her out further. He paused only to regard the wooden steps behind him. “Uh...You might want to be careful heading down the stairs. They look a bit slippery. Don’t worry though!  I’ll be here to help you.”

            The technician was unsure if she felt actual comfort in his assurance or if she was simply anxious for even the slightest assistance while in this frozen wasteland. By now, however, she had learned to ignore any perplexity derived from cooperation with the outlandish gems, who called this bizarre planet home. Some questions and riddles were best left unsolved, especially when it came to the nonsense she now faced on a daily basis.

            “Uh...If you say so...” she uttered uneasily, allowing the boy to take her hand and guide her down.  As soon as her gravity connectors met the planks nearest to the stairs, they indeed were greeting by nothing but ice, destabilizing her footing. Panic welled up in her chest as they skidded under her ever so slightly. “S-Steven...a-are you positive t-this is safe? This surface hardly seems traversable.”

            “Just stay calm and take it slow,” he advised. “One step at a time, okay?”

            This was foolhardy indeed yet she had no other choice but to trust blindly. Gulping anxiously, she did just that, following Steven’s lead down the icy steps. Sure enough, it was as he had claimed. His experience, and precise, calculated movements, granted them passage, albeit slowly but without incident.

“Hey, look. We’re doing it!” she laughed shakily with relief, gaining confidence with every step they conquered. However, it was not without the sacrifice of her wariness. “This ice is child’s play! Bring me a worthier challenge--!”

Her abrupt movement of victory alarmed the boy who had been holding her steady, “Peridot! W-watch where y-you’re—whoa!” and it wasn’t long until it doomed them both, sweeping their feet out from under them as they tumbled into the snow below.

“You c-clod!”

“Omph!”

“Oh my goodness! Are you two okay?”

Body smarting and head reeling, Peridot had little time to react before the Steven’s overprotective pearl was worrying over their sprawled forms. She had no idea how she had moved so quickly over the frozen terrain without falling to a similar fate, but she supposed she was not one to underestimate when it came to protecting her unusual charge. That was apparent enough in the way she fussed over him, paying minor attention to the peril she must have narrowly avoided just to nurse his bumped head.

Then Pearl diverted her focus, specifically to her. “What about you, Peridot? Nothing damaged?” she inquired gently, mindful in her wording as she knelt by her side, reaching out a tentative hand in a caring display. Her turquoise eyes were drawn to the precious gem at her forehead, analyzing the deep green stone for any fractures or scratches. “You...seem fine, which is good!”

“Are you kidding? I’m rear deep in this miserable cold mush!” the technician snapped irritably.

Pearl and Steven traded perturbed glances, though it appeared nothing quite out of the ordinary for their guest for they shrugged off her almost childish outrage. “Yup, she’s definitely her usual self; no damage here,” noted the taller gem with a mild exasperation that Peridot had come to expect. The twist, however, came in the form of the hand that was offered to her regardless. “Shall I help you out then? That does look rather uncomfortable.”

The pearl’s gesture was one that was unforeseen, leaving the technician a tad stupefied. Such courteousness from her newest comrades was a matter out of many she had yet to adjust to and continued to bowl her over each time. Fortunately for both parties, the chill of the snow, seeping into the fabric of her appearance modifiers, was more than enough for her to quickly accept it through her shock.

Attempting to salvage what was left of her dignity, the smaller gem cleared her throat. “Well, yes. That would be appreciated,” she muttered, feigning causality as she was hoisted back to her gravity connectors. Once steady, she busied herself, dusting herself off. “So...uh where to now?”

“Ice skating. We’re going ice skating.”

“Huh?” Garnet’s answer made Peridot start. She and Amethyst had been so quiet until then, that she had almost forgotten about their presence. “Ice skating?”

“Yay! Ice skating! Woohoo!” Steven cheered, balled fists greeting the cold air in celebration. He then turned to her, all grins. “Aw Peridot! You so have to come with us!”

She quirked a blonde eyebrow. “Do I have a choice?”

Steven shrugged sheepishly. “Well, you can have _fun_.”

For a long moment, she stared, green eyes narrowed, as she decided whether or not to take offense. Analyzing the situation, she elected to let it slide. She, admittedly, was not yet to the point of being unchaperoned and she could understand that. Being alone at the temple didn't entirely appeal to her anyway. It was best to join in on their 'activities', no matter how foolish.

"...I suppose that is acceptable..." she agreed reluctantly, in an attempt to hide her piqued curiosity and even moreso the desire to 'hang out ' with her newfound comrades. She then extended a courteous hand. "Ehem. After you."

As expected,  the boy's eyes lit up in delight. "Yes! You won't regret it, Peridot!" he claimed with an excitement that the technician found herself hesitantly believing.

 

* * *

 

 

She may have been regretting this, just a little...

"Oh my stars...This is insane. I'm going to die..."

Okay, more than a little.

The events previously leading up to this ludicrous endeavor were nothing but a blur to the panicked technician. All she could recall was what she knew in the present. That information included the notion that this was some sort of irrational human sport, strapping bladed boots to their gravity connectors and attempting to ‘skate’ across potentially unstable frozen bodies of water. She could hardly fathom how her ‘comrades’ had managed to shove her into these death traps in the first place, never mind tempting her on the ice in them. She thanked the Diamonds, however, for the pure miracle that she hadn’t fallen yet.

However, it was only a matter of time, she realized, her puffy arms flailing within her many appearance modifiers as she fought for balance against gravity’s allure.

"Keep it up, Peri! Looking great!" Amethyst cheered on from the safety of solid land.

"E-easy for y-you to sa--aaah! Whoooa!"

Peridot's complaining was cut short when she began to lose her delicate sense of control, her footing widening, sliding apart and out from under her.

"Easy, Peridot! Just stay calm!" Pearl advised anxiously.

"Hold on! I'm coming!" Steven called.

"You do know the worst she'll do is wipe out, right?" she heard Garnet reason evenly, inadvertently putting her somewhat at ease that she wouldn't wind up shattered from this merciless Earthling pastime.

"Well, yeah. But I still should help her."

"True."

All the while, however, their newest member was careening and skittering across the ice, much like a rogue comet. "A l-little help w-would be c-crucial at t-this point!" And like a comet, she was destined to crash.

"Hey, watch--" Sure enough, almost a blur, the green gem met her determined destination in a cascade of snow, "...out..."

Left dazed in a snowbank, Peridot could only wait for her world to stop spinning. Sitting there in a soft chair of white mush, even as she felt its chill slowly seeping its way in, she supposed she should feel lucky this little incident hadn't ended with even more dire results. Her great fortune, however, did not budge her from her prior opinion. Skating remained one of the most preposterous activities she had been naïve enough to wind up being talked into, even more so now after her near-death experience.

"Peridot, are you okay!" she heard Steven call out as he skated his way over to her, worry and anxiety easily detected in his voice. "That wipeout was actually pretty awesome, but that's beside the point I suppose. Kudos all the same!"

"Stop...talking..." Peridot grumbled, regaining her senses. Several groans followed, of both effort and pain, as she scrambled to sit back up. "Never...again, Steven. This is clearly madness."

Visibly dismayed by her declaration of surrender, Steven's shoulders slumped slightly. "Aw, Peridot. You can't give up just yet," he protested. The boy then offered her a helping hand, which she accepted without hesitation, wanting to be out of the horrid snowbank she had found herself in. It certainly wasn't because she trusted him; such an absurd notion. "Here. I'll give you some pointers. If you still aren't comfortable, I promise you don't have to ice skate anymore. But at least give it another chance."

Mouth pressed into a suspicious thin line, the technician reluctantly permitted the half gem to draw her back out onto the ice.

"...I suppose that is a fair enough arrangement..."

 Already, she remembered her unease, from the moment her blades touched the frozen pond once more, as she slipped and slid and clung to her companion for safety. She was relieved that only the tiniest of whimpers escaped her in her encroaching terror. But, despite her shrieking apprehension, nothing ran afoul with Steven tugging her along, guiding her balance and teaching her the motions. Steadily, as steady as the gliding movement that she was quickly mastering, her anxiety evaporated.

Before the once nervous green gem knew it, she was actually enjoying herself.

“See! You’re getting it!” Steven praised, going even as far as releasing his grip. She, however, only fretted for a moment and soon made her way around her teacher in shaky circles. “Go, Peridot! Looking good!”

Unable to help a grin, she dared to skate faster than before, venturing past her initial, cautious ambling to allow herself some speed. With a wary giggle, she pushed her limits further, risking a spin and then another. Wind whistled through her hair and tickled her physical form, prompting a giddiness in the depths of her chest.

Perhaps this skating activity wasn’t so horrid after all. In fact, it made Peridot feel as though she were flying, graceful and swift. She almost wanted to do it all day, but she wouldn’t really. Only because that would be positively ridiculous, or at least that’s what she told herself, a waste of time. It would’ve been an _entertaining_ waste of time nonetheless.

Oh, who cared? She certainly didn’t. There was only one important thing that mattered right now to her.

“Woo! I’m the master of skating—whoa!”

Abruptly losing her balance in her arrogance and finding herself sharply on her behind, she wondered one thing instead. What hurt more? The fall or her pride. Dazed, she needed a moment to decide, or at least for the cold to sink in.

“Hey, dude. Don’t worry...”

Amethyst’s presence was unexpected enough to shock her from her temporary stupor. To her surprise, she found the other Crystal Gems had joined her out on the ice as well. It seemed amateur hour was over. They could only watch her make a fool out of herself for so long, she supposed.

The purple hand that was offered to her chummily frankly protested that notion. “You wee doing so good! Mind if we skate with you, champ?”

Regarding the perma-fusion and pearl just beyond the quartz, Peridot realized that there was not a snide glance or mocking snicker to be seen. No... perhaps their intentions were much different. That concept was driven home by the warmth in their expressions when they regarded her, their welcoming grins. They _wanted_ to skate with her, simply to have fun together.

As if to confirm her suspicions, the Crystal Gem’s usually intimidating leader offered a strange ‘thumbs-up’ gesture. Meanwhile, Steven was already having a blast with the pearl, holding her hands as they skated together in playful circles across the ice. There was nothing but a good time to be had.

Very tempting, even heartwarming, if she had such an organic structure.

And no, there wasn’t salty fluid threatening to leak from her vision spheres. “S-sure, that sounds...fun...” she finally answered, accepting the offered lift to her gravity connectors.

No sooner than she had rejoined the group, she appeared to become the belle of the ice ball. All of the Crystal Gems wanted a turn to glide and play with her. It was quite flattering, if she was to be honest. For once, she didn’t feel so small or even as much as an outsider. Though, the former was a tad harder when it came to lanky Pearl or the even more imposing Garnet, despite the fact that they were kind enough to slouch slightly with her. And from each, the technician learned something new, a fancy spin, how to skate backwards, and the all-important guidelines on how not to accidentally cut herself during a wipeout.

Even as the chill of Earth’s winter season began to seep through her many layers, and the sun slowly slunk towards the horizon in a flare of stunning purples and oranges that stained the gray sky, returning to the temple to warm up was far from Peridot’s mind. She simply wanted to stay out on the ice all night, mastering her new skills. Unfortunately, her new comrades were the opposite. As night’s even more intense cold set in, their attention was instinctively drawn to their half-human charge.

“It’s getting late, yo. Should we head in?” Amethyst inquired, looking to Pearl who stood beside her.

The pearl gave a silent, affirmative nod.

“Aw come on, guys. Can’t we stay for a _little_ bit longer?” Steven protested, lurking by her favorite green gem. His shivering started to grow all the more evident nonetheless. “P-Peridot and I are h-having so much f-fun. Y-you guys can head i-in though.”

“Nope. Everybody, return to the temple, pronto.”

Disappointment seized Peridot. She knew all too well that Garnet’s word was practically law among the rebels. And, as such, they obeyed, ushering the boy off the ice before assisting the cold child with removing his skates. Crestfallen, she followed suit, sulking but not wanting to upset the gems she had been getting along so well with. More so, she supposed inadvertently endangering Steven’s health was the last of her wishes as well, not that she would admit it.

During the march home, it became increasingly easy to remember the freezing temperatures she had been so reluctant to tangle with. Her gravity connectors sunk into the cold mush with every step, causing an occasional stumble as she lagged behind the other gems’ more experienced pace. Quite suddenly, she felt left out once again, especially with Steven snug in Pearl’s arms yards ahead, too tuckered out to request they wait for her.

Colder than ever, Peridot rubbed her arms miserably in attempt to create warming friction. All she wanted now was to get inside, though she wasn’t quite focused on where she was going, too lost in her thoughts, or where the Crystal Gems were for that matter. However, it was hard to ignore the presences that joined her with little warning, not realizing previously how her fellows had noticed and waited for her.

“Eh?”

A strong hand snatched the back of her ‘coat’. “That means you, Peri. No frozen stranglers in my house,” Garnet commented as she secured her in her free arm, while the other held the bag containing their precious skates. Despite her frank words, Peridot could detect the warmth within them. It was like she was already at the temple, already home.

“Dude, if you were struggling, you should’ve said something,” Amethyst chided, frost dusting her pale hair.

“Hehe, whoops,” she chuckled sheepishly. “...Sorry.”

“Well, you’re safe now. That’s all that matters.”

In the pearl’s arms, the half gem stirred, even with her hood over his eyes. “No frozen...slices of pie...” he muttered sleepily, prompting a smile from each of his caretakers.

Garnet chuckled. “Well said as always, Steven.”

“Thank yous...”

Returning to the temple with her rebellious comrades, Peridot couldn’t help but feel greater sense of homecoming than she ever did returning to Home World. As if out of habit, the trio immediately set to work on their own tasks as soon as Amethyst flipped on the main light. By the door, their winter clothes were left in a semi-neat pile to be dealt with later. Then, Pearl headed upstairs on long legs to tuck her precious bundle into bed, after a brief struggle to get him into his odd human sleeping attire, while Garnet quietly assisted her in putting up his soggy discarded clothes as well as the sports bag that went snugly into the closet. Amethyst remained downstairs with Peridot, raiding the fridge for a late night snack. She quirked a perturbed eyebrow at such behavior, even when generously offered a ‘sandwich’ as she perched on one of the kitchen stools.

Before long, the pair upstairs descended wearily. Even then, they had their routine, it seemed. The pearl stretched a moment before tending to the sink of dishes Steven and Amethyst had left for her while the said quartz joined Peridot at the counter to doze off. Their leader, on the other hand, choose the couch for her place of temporary rest. Just like that, the Crystal Gems settled into a state of peace and quiet as Steven drifted off to sleep. It was oddly comforting, despite the lull in activity she was so unaccustomed to.

Regardless, some things still just didn’t make sense.

“Answer me this, pearl. If you ‘don’t belong to anybody’, why are you still cleaning up after Steven and Amethyst?” Peridot inquired, chin in her hand as she regarded the gem in question with mild disapproval.

Her question caught Pearl off-guard, judging from the way she jerked in bewilderment to glance over her shoulder. “Oh?” Just like that, the technician could sense the disapproval from the others as well, but not towards their comrade. However, Pearl soon shrugged with a content smile before resuming her housework. “Just because I don’t belong to anybody doesn’t mean I’m going to let this place turn into a pigsty. I do this because I _want_ to, because I _like_ doing it. It’s that simple.”

“...What’s a pigsty?”

The lanky gem at the sink snuck a sly side glance at the gem at Peridot’s left. “You should visit Amethyst’s room if you want a prime example.”

“Hey!”

“Shh!”

“...Sorry, G.”

For a few minutes after, harmony returned. The only sounds to be heard were either from the ocean sighing outside or the running sink within with the occasional clink of plates and silverware. It made Peridot a tad sleepy herself, which was just one of the many new feelings she was adjusting to.

“Oh my gosh, I almost forgot!” came a sudden burst of energy from the bed upstairs as Steven shot up from under his covers.

Pearl’s protest was automatic. “Steven! What are you doing up?”

However, the boy’s transgression was, quite frankly, alien to their guest. “He’s awake. What’s the big deal?”

“Humans usually _sleep_ at this time of night, especially young ones like Steven,” Garnet explained patiently, watching Steven hurry down the steps, his bare feet slapping against the wood. “Unlike us, they need regular rest. Which is why you should be in bed, Steven. You know that.”

The boy paused before his guardians, clad in his yellow pajamas. “Aw, I’ll be really quick. I promise,” he implored. “I just don’t want Peridot to be bored.”

The fusion pursed her lips thoughtfully, considering his appeal. “Hmm. Very well,” she agreed with a small, knowing smile. “But make it quick, okay? No staying up all night.”

The half gem beamed gratefully, “You got it!” before scrambling to the living room cupboards. “Come here, Peridot! You’re going to love this!”

Uncertain, the technician glanced around at the Crystal Gems. Their expressions warned her discreetly, yet loud and clear, not to keep the boy waiting. Understanding that much all too much, she slipped down from the stool to join Steven by the couch.

“So... what’s all the excitement about?” she attempted, half-heartedly feigning interest through her encroaching drowsiness. She observed him dig through the human junk absently, not expecting much. As much as she had enjoyed ice skating, she knew better than to jump at every new human activity just yet. “No, seriously. What are you doing?”

“That’s what _I_ want to know.”

Obviously displeased with her charge being up past his bedtime, Pearl had finished the dishes quickly enough to keep a watchful eye over the boy whom she had, just ten minutes ago, put to bed herself. With a strange authority, she made her way over to them, hand on her hip. Steven shot her an imploring look, perhaps trying to placate her patience for a while longer.

Peridot, on the other hand, was far from enduring. “Hey! He called me, not you. Shoo!” She may have been willing to cooperate with the Crystal Gems after the time they had at the pond, but that did not erase her instinctive distaste towards the group’s headstrong pearl.

“Oh, would you hush?” Unfortunately for her, the said pearl still did not care about natural gem order. “Steven, really. What are you doing in there?”

Just in time, the boy’s face lit up. “Ha! Here we go!” he declared victoriously, yanking a stack of papers free. “Paper! And... scissors!”

Peridot stared, quite confused. “...What?”

Pearl said nothing but appeared to share her sentiment of puzzlement.

As though used to such reactions, the half gem merely ignored their bewilderment and hurried to the table. Automatically, Garnet smoothly uncurled from the couch to allow the boy room to work. She too made no comment, simply watching as he set his supplies out from behind her shades.

Once satisfied with the arrangement, Steven settled down on his knees in front of the coffee table. “So...” he began, looking to them expectantly. “I’m going to teach you how to make snowflakes out of paper. It’s really very easy, but also really fun. And you can decorate the temple with them!”

Now he had lost her. Trying to process what he was proposing, Peridot glanced from the window, through which she could still see the snow falling silently outside, to the plain materials laid out before her and back again. She honestly thought snow was made from rain frozen in the atmosphere like Steven had first taught her, but now she wasn’t so sure.

“Steven...I don’t think...” Pearl began, only to be cut off by her quite nearly distraught comrade.

“Wait! I-I thought you told me snow was made out of water, not paper!” she cried, throwing her arms out in dismay. “I’m so confused, Steven! Which is it?”

A snicker from the pearl scuffed her pride but she was far too determined to seek out the truth to worry about her silly opinion.

Surprised by her outburst, Steven regarded her wordlessly for a moment or two, scissors motionless in one hand, paper in the other. “...O-oh. It’s...They’re not real snowflakes, Peridot,” he explained patiently. “They’re just supposed to _look_ like snowflakes when you look at them up close.”

Defeated, the gem’s arms fell limp to her sides. “Oh.” Then her eyes caught the taller gem behind her stifling yet another giggle. “...I see you over there. Stop that.”

This time, she was more inclined to listen. She ceased her noises of amusement and instead joined her charge from the other side of the table, sitting more delicately than young Steven or herself could probably ever manage. Not to be outdone, Peridot followed her example, sulking as she reluctantly settled next to the pearl.

“Well, I’m interested. How do we do this?” Pearl inquired brightly.

“I’m glad you asked, Pearl!” Steven responded cheerfully. He then began folding the paper already held in his hand, seeming to pay close attention to how the sides lined up evenly. “First, you fold a piece of paper diagonally like this, up to three times. Then...carefully, you snip this corner off here. You can be creative on how you do it too.”

Eagerly, the pair watched as he demonstrated, repeating the last step several times. Once finished, he unraveled his masterpiece for them to see. It was a bit uneven, but it looked like a fascinating geometric creation nonetheless.

“Ehehe...I haven’t done this in a while...” he chuckled sheepishly. “But I’m sure yours will be better! Give it a try!”

At once, both gems pounced for the scissors. Their hands came down on the sole pair at the same time with a thud, the hapless tool trapped underneath. Then came the competitive glares, daring the other to attempt to steal it from them.

“...You might want to find another pair,” Garnet suggested from the hallway, having discreetly placed more distance between herself and the feuding pair. “And more paper. Lots of it.”

“Riiight...”

“This is going to be so good...”

It was going to be a long night.

  

* * *

 

 

Peridot and Pearl had turned the temple into a paper warzone by the time the mayor stopped by the next morning. Not needing sleep had doomed them and their fellows to a maelstrom of precisely cut snowflakes and loose clippings that seemed to have swept through the living room. Even Amethyst’s occasional raids to contribute to a new room pile had done little to save them from the absolute mess that their competition had created.

“Good morning, Mr. Universe! Are your sis—“

“Guardians, Mr. Mayor. They’re my guardians,” Steven corrected even while half asleep, knowing all too well where Mayor Dewey was heading with his greeting. “And yeah...they’re home. If you can find them...”

The middle-aged politician snuck a curious, yet cautious glance past the boy at the screen door. “Oh...Oh my. What happened _here_?”

“Pearl and... our newest member...kind of got into a snowflake cutting war,” he explained, abashed by the mess and their antics. “They’ve been at it all night.”

By now, only Garnet had hopes to tame the disaster, sweeping away at the discarded clippings into something resembling order. In some other pile, Steven knew Amethyst had dozed off in sweet surrender. And yet, at the table, Pearl and Peridot snipped away at their countless creations.

“G-guys...come on. It’s been _hours_ ,” the boy pleaded, eyes heavy with bags. He had tried to sleep, but had had little luck with their ruckus.

At the door, Mayor Dewey hadn’t stopped gaping. “My word. I...I had just come to ask if anyone wanted to help decorate the town for winter, but...”

“Decorate?” Pearl’s head snapped up at that, finally pausing mid-cut.

A little intimidated by her apparent fury, he reluctantly continued. “Well...y-yes,” he stammered, retreating a step. “I-I see you have p-plenty to work with here. W-would you care to,, you know...spare some for the town? Beach City would greatly appreciate it.”

“Wha---?” Seemingly for the first time since they started, Pearl stopped to regard her surroundings. As expected, she went pale. “O-oh. What a mess we’ve made. I’m terribly sorry.”

“Giving up, pearl?” Peridot mocked beside her, refusing to stop now that her opponent was slowing down. Unfortunately for their comrades, her words immediately reminded Pearl that she was not about to lose to their new pet gremlin. “If that’s the case, I’ll be more than happy to decorate your ‘town’ for you while I’m at it.”

The pale gem shot to her feet, fists balled at her side. “In your dreams!”

“...What’s a dream?”

“Never mind!” was the growled reply as the taller gem scrambled for her snowflakes. “You have another thing coming if you think I’m letting that happen!”

“...Here we go again,” sighed a particularly weary pile that sounded a lot like Amethyst.

Mayor Dewey had very little time to jump out of the way before the competitive gems were barreling out the door, arms full of their precious creations. “W-whoa! Dang...they go all out, huh?”

“Pretty much...”

“Wait!” Peridot cried from outside, scrambling back up the steps and into the house. “I’ll beat you in just a minute, Pearl. Just you wait!”

“Oh, would you hurry up!”

It seemed that even with her determined drive, the technician was far from willing to venture out unprotected. Hastily, she discarded her cargo and hurriedly grabbed for her coats. Once satisfied with her ‘armor’, she gathered up her decorations and made good on her attempt to gain back her lost ground.

Those remaining could only stare after them, wondering if even the town could remain standing after they were finished with it.

“...At least Peridot’s not bored...”

After an unamused silence, he found Garnet ruffling his hair with a chuckle. “And neither is Pearl. Nicely done.”

Definitely feeling more awake in the newfound excitement, Steven smiled brightly. It was nice to have a new member of the family, no matter the initial chaos. He wondered what else he could show her to make this her favorite season.

“...Even still, I ain’t cleaning up this mess.”

“Yeah, I’m out too. See ya!”

“O-oh, I should check on their progress. Yes, quite...”

“Aw man...”

He still loved them all the same. Despite their claims, Garnet and Amethyst helped out nonetheless. And, once peace was finally reached between the ‘wonder nerds’, Beach City looked spectacular...minus a few casualties, of course.


End file.
